Little Charlie Jareau
by wicked-nachos-09
Summary: JJ's brother is in an accident and dies. She gets an unexpected thrust into parenthood as she takes her nephew in and thanks to the five week old child, JJ finds the right one for her. PS did i mention it was a fic of the JEm?
1. Chapter 1

It isn't as if JJ never liked Christmas. As a child she had loved it and had spent many of her childhood Christmas Eve's on the couch waiting for Santa, that was until she found out he wasn't real. The problem with Christmas for the blonde FBI agent was spending it with her family. Every year her father over loaded on eggnog and got really loud, and after her mother had a few it loosened her tongue a bit, criticizing JJ's choice in careers, why there was no husband or children and why they were prouder of her younger brother than they were of her. That was why JJ drove back every year just to stay in a motel for three nights before coming back.

As for the winter holidays of 2007, Jennifer Jareau had planned to work over the holidays, earning her money so she could self-indulge in her own presents and exchange gifts with her surrogate family, the BAU team she worked with had had done for the past four or five years. The only problem being that Emily was being guilt-tripped into spending it with her parents and Morgan had asked Garcia to meet his mother with him. Hotch was spending it with Jack and possibly Haley. They had decided that they should get along for their child's sake. Rossi was being Rossi and Reid was going to Vegas again to see his mother. Surprisingly, a package had been sent to JJ's office at work, complete with small gifts for each of them. From former FBI agent Jason Gideon. She and Emily had given the prodigy child some flack about it. He and Gideon always got along the best on an intellectual level that the rest of them never had.

Everything had been going as JJ had planned until exactly two days before the 25th of December. Her mother had called and demanded that she come home to Pennsylvania immediately. Her brother Sam and his wife, Molly, had been in a car accident on their way to pick up three week old Charlie from the Jareau house. A head on collision with a drunken semi-trailer, leaving little baby Charlie down one parent. Sam was awake in the ICU and asking for his sister.

"Jennifer, you have to come home this instant," said Sandra Jareau, worry in her voice. JJ had brushed it off as another attempt from her parents to have her home for the holidays.

"Mum, I told you already the last seven times you have called. I'm working over Christmas," said JJ, finishing her report on their last case.

"This isn't about Christmas. You brother has been in an accident. Molly passed away before the medics got to her. Sammy is in the ICU at the E.A. General. You have to come home. He's asking for you," said her mother, finally breaking and letting tears and sobs rack her body as she held the phone to her ear.

JJ was in shock, nearly dropping the phone to let it hang over the edge of her desk. "Is he okay?" whispered the blonde woman, hand flying to cover her mouth. "What going to happen to Charlie?"

"The doctors think that there is a slim chance he'll survive. Just come home. Please." He mother dissolved into another set of tears and JJ could barely hear her father in the background trying to comfort his distraught wife.

"I'll get the next flight that I can. I love you, mum." Said JJ, three words she hadn't said in years. She hung up just as there was a soft knock on her office door. "Come in," was barely audible to the person on the other side. Brunette Emily Prentiss poked her head in the door with a smile on her face only for it to drop to an expression filled with worry as JJ flung folders closed and pulled her overnight bag out from the bottom cabinet behind her desk.

"JJ, what's wrong?" asked Emily, stepping fully into the room, gently snapping the door shut behind her. It seemed to Emily, that whenever JJ was in a serious state of shock, only her voice could pull her out of it, but this time Emily had to take hold of JJ by the shoulders and get the upset girl to look into her eyes. "JJ, look at me. What's wrong?"

"I-I h-have to go home. Can you t-tell H-Hotch, I need a few weeks o-off?" said JJ, trying not to cry. As kids, her and her brother had always been close, inseparable until JJ left East Alleghany for college and to get away from her small town life.

"Okay, I will, but you need to tell me what's wrong?" said Emily, softly trying to keep JJ calm long enough to get it out of her.

Here came the hard part. Having to admit that her brother was close to dying to tell Emily before the tears came at full force. She was rambling incoherently so it made it harder for Emily to understand what JJ was saying, but was she did get was, "Sam, m-my brother...Car a-accident...Wife died...Baby Charlie...I-I have t-to go home...Garcia...Plane ticket."

"Okay, this is what we're gonna do. JJ, listen to me, sweety, okay? You're going to go to Hotch and I'll go to Garcia, then I'm going to take you home to get you some more clothes than just an overnight back full and then I'm going to drive you to the airport myself okay?" instructed Emily. JJ must have comprehended what was said as she wiped stray tears then had broken over her barrier and smoothed her clothes out. She nodded her head and left in a hurry to catch Hotch before he left.

Emily all but sprinted down to Garcia's big hole in the wall office filled with knick-knacks and photos of happier times. Section Chief Strauss was in there giving poor Penelope Garcia a talk-into about the type of attire she wore to work and the type she was expected to wear to look professional. Garcia argued back that no one ever sees her because she behind a computer and not out in the field. She's not allowed on field assignments unless given cleared access to. Emily knocked loudly, breaking the tension and sending the Grinch back up to her office.

"JJ need a plane ticket home ASAP, Garcia," said Emily, as the Queen Computer Geek typed furiously away at her keyboard. "Family emergency."

"How long for?" asked Penelope, turning her head to face the older woman.

"Go three weeks, and if she needs to extend it, she can," replied Emily, hastily.

"The next flight is in three hours and the ticket is waiting for her there. Merry Christmas, Em!" yelled Garcia, as her office door was flung shut, Emily already halfway down the hallway back to the bullpen.

JJ was still in Hotch's office signing her papers for time off. She had never taken any of her sick leave, seeing as she had never had to. She was immune to colds and flu's. Twenty three weeks saved up and she was using up three then and there to go home unexpectedly. Morgan and Reid had watched her flee past them with puffy red eyes and up into Hotch's office, the door swinging shut noisily. Rossi's head came out of his office next door after the wall was shaken forcefully.

As JJ and Emily rushed out of the bullpen, back to JJ's office and into the elevator in less than three minutes (Morgan timed them), jackets on and JJ's overnight bag between them and as the doors chimed closed, all four men saw JJ jumpy and worried.

"Go home, guys. Your flights are tomorrow so get some rest," said Hotch, walking out with case in hand after shrugging his coat on. "Merry Christmas."

As soon as the girls had got into Emily's car, JJ had broken down with the brunette wrapping her arms around the hysterical blonde. It was several minutes of Emily rubbing her back trying to calm her, whispering comforting words in her ear until JJ's sobs subsided. "Let's get you home," said Emily, pulling back and starting the car before taking hold on JJ's hand to keep her calm.

At the airport, it wasn't a sappy goodbye, but there were tears on JJ's part. She had a tight hold on Emily when the PA system said it was their final call for the Pennsylvania flight. They were standing right outside the doors to the security check point, having picked up JJ's ticker already and checked her in. It was going to be a two hour flight to get home and Emily knew she would be antsy.

"JJ, relax on the plane. There's nothing you can do in the air, okay? Just get there," said Emily. "Are you sure, that you don't want me to come with you?"

"Yeah, you gotta the holidays with your parents. I'll be okay," replied JJ.

"Call me when you land. I wanna know you got there without a hitch," smiled Emily. "Go!"

"Thank you," whispered JJ.

"You do need to thank me," answered Emily, giving the blonde a nudge towards the doors.

Emily stayed there until she couldn't see JJ anymore before she left. As she was getting into her car in the airport parking garage, her phone buzzed with glee as it received a text message from the blonde that was about to board the plane.

_-Emily__I'll miss you. Merry Christmas__-JJ_

Emily replied with, _'miss you too,'_ and took off home to get some rest. It was already close to midnight and her flight was at seven am the next day. _'Oh, fun,'_ she thought, as she sped down the highway towards her house.


	2. Chapter 2

Okay, i know at one point it got really crappy in this chapter but i think it has a good ending. only just after i finished chapter one did i realise that i somehow named JJ's bro and sis-in-law after sam and molly from ghost. just realised that lol. didn't mean too. thanks for the reviews. hope you all like so enjoy!

* * *

For JJ, a two hour plane ride and a one hour drive was bad enough especially when it was early in the morning, before four am, dark outside her rented SUV and her brother was in the ICU after bring in a car accident. The old movie theatres, parks, schools and buildings all flashed passed JJ as she sped well over the limit to pull up into the East Alleghany Hospital parking lot. Thankfully, the levels of activity for the ladies at the front reception desk was low, no ambulances bringing victims in that needed emergency surgery or were just minutes from dying.

"Hi, I-," started JJ, keys in hands, eyes red and puffy and the bags under them were only getting bigger. The nurse at the desk was on the phone and held her hand up to silence JJ.

"I'm looking for my brother," JJ tried again, hitting the palms of her hands onto the counter to get her attention.

"Wait," said the nurse, providing JJ with a very good impersonation of what Strauss looked like without her face on, which was supposed to be a greasy look. JJ huffed angrily and made her way to the elevator much to the annoyance of the nurse.

The Intensive Care Unit was on the third floor, the only problem being, visitors needed to be let into the ward. You were not allowed to just waltz in there. The doors were locked and you had to ring the nurses' station within the ward to gain access, no matter how powerful you are. It took several minutes of light arguing with the doctor who had come to the doors to open it up.

"Please," begged JJ. "He's my brother. I need to see him. I was told he's been asking for me."

"You're Sam Jareau's sister? I need some identification to let you in, and no weapons," he said, giving in and pointing to the gun that was holstered at her side. "I'm your brother's doctor, Dr Adams."

JJ pulled out her FBI identification and gave it to him before pulling her 9mm automatic out, releasing the magazine and handing them all separately to him.

"How is he?" whispered JJ, pushing into the ward. Everything was more sterile and a lot quieter. The beeping of heart beats and machines and the slow functions of respirators could be heard from the far end of the hall.

"Not good. There is a chance that he will die," said Dr Adams, running his hands over his hair, pushing it up.

"What are the chances he'll live?"asked JJ, as they rounded the corner of the nurses' station and ended up right at Sam's door.

"15. I'm sorry," said Dr Adams, sincerity flowing through his words. Just as JJ went to walk into her brother's room, a hand on her arm stopped her. "There is another matter. He signed rather shakily, a D.N.R. We can't legally resuscitate him. So if anything happens while you're in there, again I'm sorry. There is a piece of paper on his tray for you with instructions about something."

"Thanks," said JJ, watching his back as he walked away.

Here she was. Jennifer Jareau. FBI Communications Liaison, who had to look at gory crime scene photos of the work of serial killers or arsonists, rapists and the results of hate crimes day in and day out, even when they weren't working a case. She could handle all that as long as she got a beer at the end of the day and had Emily around, but walking into her brother's ICU hospital room while he had a 15 chance of living she could not.

ICU rooms didn't have doors, they had curtains in case they had to when a patient out in a hurry in order to save their lives. So there went JJ, slipping through the curtains to see Samuel Jonathan Jareau with his eyes flickering open and shut closely on the fine line of awareness and darkness. Cut's marred his once smooth skin and large bandages covered most of his upper torso.

"Sammy," whispered JJ, walking to her brother's side.

"J," hissed Sam in pain. His words were halfway between mouthing and talking as if he was just beginning to reclaim his voice after losing it to a cold. "You came."

"Of course I did. You're in the hospital and I love you. Why wouldn't I?" smiled JJ, hearing him talk to her.

"I love you, too, sis. Read-read the paper," was barely audible, JJ wiped her eyes and picked up the paper from his little wheelie table.

"Sam, this-are you serious?" asked a shocked JJ. "This is instructions for your will, Sam. I can't. You'll be fine."

"You have to. Please do it for me. Call the number on the bottom and talk to the g-guy," said Sam, machines beginning to beep for different things. "Tell C.J, I love him."

"Sam!" said JJ, in angry sobs. A nurse rushed in only to stop and remember the Do Not Resuscitate form that the patient had signed. JJ's hand covered her mouth in disbelief as she began to break down in the hospital room. The nurse silently turned off the machines that had been supporting the former Samuel Jonathan Jareau. Half an hour later, once the shock had set in, Dr Adams had personally escorted JJ to her car and handed her, her weapon and badge as she began the short drive to her parent's house, all on auto pilot.

* * *

She hadn't been there in a while, since last Christmas at least, so she knocked instead of using her key. JJ couldn't think straight. It was five am as she heavily and tiredly knocked forcefully on her parent's front door of her childhood home. She had been up for twenty-four hours straight and with the emotional baggage the blonde now had to carry, she was beyond exhausted. Her father, John, answered angrily several minutes later with her mother behind him cautiously. He was pissed for being woken up so early. "What?!?"

"Jennifer," he said, pulling his daughter into his arms for a bear hug.

Next was her mother who exclaimed with a small bout of happiness, "Sam will be so happy you're here. He's been asking for you." JJ had to physically bit back tears before she answered her mother.

"I've already seen. I went straight to the hospital after my flight landed. Did you know he signed a D.N.R? And he has a will in his and Molly's name? He flat-lined while I was there and the nurse came in and turned the machines off. He's gone, mum," whispered JJ, furious at her brother for giving up like that. Sandra simply collapsed and if it weren't for JJ, she would've hurt herself and her decent to their hardwood floored hallway was at least controlled. John went to the couch in grief after pulling his wife to him.

JJ was already cried out so she could do no more except sit in the guest bedroom that had once been hers. But she was shocked to find it already occupied. Her little nephew was wriggling around in his crib with a security blanket covering his legs, looking like his father so much already.

"Hey, little man," said JJ, brushing the soft hair of the bouncing baby boy, completely oblivious to the recent events. "Daddy wanted me to tell you that he loves you. So does mummy and they always will no matter what happens."

Because she didn't want really disturb Charlie, she was fortunate enough that her parents had another guest room besides Sam's old room. JJ hesitantly set her things down near the door, ready to curl up under the covers to sleep, to feel safe. But as tired as she was, she couldn't sleep so she pulled out her phone and dialled the number of the one person who she needed completely.

* * *

On the second ring, Emily Prentiss picked up with her traditional 'Prentiss' expecting and hoping it was someone from the Bureau calling her back to work or from Strauss saying she was behind in her paperwork. She didn't expect it to JJ so soon.

"JJ. Hey, how are you?" she asked, straightening her back from her position on her over-stuffed couch as she became more alert the conversation she was having.

"Okay, I guess," she answered. There was a long awkward pause before she answered. "Not really. You remember when I said at the airport that you should spend the holidays with your parents? That I was okay to come home by myself?"

"Yeah," said Emily, encouraging JJ to keep going. The voice of the woman she had been secretly pining over for the past year or so, the voice that was always so full of life and compassion and whatever emotion needed to be shown, was flat, none of the spark evident in the smooth tones.

"I lied. I need you, here," said JJ. "I know you should go home, but probably don't want to, knowing your relationship with your mother. Sam's gone."

"Oh, sweety. I'm so, so sorry. What's the address? I'll change my flight at the airport," said Emily, sympathy coming out in her voice. As JJ relayed the address, the brunette shrugged her coat on, the driver her mother had organised ready to pick her up. Emily couldn't wait to have JJ in her arms, sighing at the reason behind being able to hold JJ. "I'll be there in a few hours. Be safe, Jayj."

"You too, Em," said JJ, snapping her phone shut as she heard the small, shrill cries of Charlie. Making her way into the child's room, she stared at him for a few moments straight, as if she didn't understand what it was he was crying about. Shaking off her daydreams and reminders of Sam, she bundled the little boy into his blanket and took him from the firm squishiness of his mattress. JJ held him close and silently promised Sam and Molly that she would do the best to take care of Charlie.


	3. Chapter 3

It was a day later when Emily finally arrived. It turns out all the flights had been cancelled and delayed because of storms. JJ and her parents were still grieving over the loss of their son and brother and as soon as JJ saw the cab pull up from her bedroom window, she was out in the street hugging Emily as if there was no tomorrow. The blonde had eventually pulled away hesitantly offering Emily a sad but welcoming smile. The eyes that usually had a bright spark behind them had been extinguished and it was not the younger agent that Emily knew and loved. Red puffy eyes with bags under them, hair messily tied up and a jumper a few sizes too big was not the best look for JJ, even though she was mourning. Emily pulled JJ closer, placing a kiss on her temple, before being led into the house with their fingers intertwined.

"Where's your stuff?" asked JJ, opening the front door and noticing Emily's lack of bags.

"At a hotel just down the road. I wasn't sure about where to go, so I just got a room. Figured you would all be grieving as a family so I didn't really want to get in the way," rambled Emily.

"I told you I needed you here. I want you here. God knows we could use some life-." JJ had been about to say 'life around here' but stopped at the irony of her comment. Emily's fingers slid from hers to land around her shoulders and give them a gentle squeeze.

"It's okay. I know what you mean," whispered Emily, removing her arm after a moment too long, seeing out of the corner of her eye, a man who she automatically connected to JJ, her father.

"John Jareau," he said, holding out is hand to shake.

"Emily Prentiss," she replied softly. Continuing with all the sincerity she could muster, "I am sorry for your loss."

"It's appreciated. I hope you can be there for J," he said, pointing to JJ, whose hands had slid into the back pockets of her jeans.

"Always," whispered Emily.

"Where'd mum go?" asked JJ, no longer nervous.

"A walk with Charlie, wanted to clear her head. Are you sure that you want to help me plan his funeral?" asked John, his jaw clenching and unclenching. "We have to talk to his lawyer to, about what he gave you. I'll call him soon."

"Yeah. We're just gonna go upstairs," said JJ, dragging Emily to the foot of the stairs.

"Play nice, girls," he said, playfully, trying to lift his daughters spirits. John was the man of the house and now that Sam had passed, his wife and daughter needed him more than ever.

"Sure, dad," said JJ, smiling lightly, the gesture dropping from her face after seconds. Emily followed the blonde upstairs past frames and frames of photos covering the walls. She stopped at one that was recent. A young man with sandy hair, a woman with light brown hair and newborn baby yawning.

"Is this Sam?" asked Emily, pointing at the picture.

"Yeah. It was taken the day Molly had Charlie," she said sadly, remembering the email she received hours after her nephew had been born with the dozens of photos of the hours-old child.

"He's gorgeous," commented Emily, looking to JJ with her head tilted.

"CJ or Sam?" replied JJ.

"Well, both. But CJ looks adorable there," she answered. "Have you slept at all?"

"No. I just couldn't last night. Sam...kept going in and out of my head and Charlie was crying. So I survived on coffee last night," explained JJ.

Emily's hands both went to cup the exhausted blondes face, thumbs skimming the skin under her eyes gently. "Come on. How about a nap? I didn't sleep last night either. Stupid airport."

"Ok," answered JJ, a moment's hesitation stopping her.

The room was small, but had enough room to put a small coffee table between the bed and the walls. JJ's things were spread out in the corner and the walls were decorated with framed paintings that JJ and Sam had done as kids. Emily mentally reminded herself to look at the photos and pictures more closely later on. The bed covers were lightly rumpled, and there was a blanket and small toy giraffe on the end. There were no windows, but a sliding door which led out to a balcony connected to the other two rooms at the back of the house

Emily settled herself onto the middle of the bed, leaning against the headboard and as JJ climbed tiredly onto the wooden bed, she pulled the younger agent into her arms. With her arms hanging loosely but firmly around JJ's shoulders, she could hear the even breathes coming from JJ, several minutes later, telling Emily that the girl was asleep. Hoping she would stay that way for a while, the older woman drifted off into darkness with the girl of her dreams asleep in her arms.

Several hours later, it was dark outside, snow was piling up on the balcony and Emily woke up spooning JJ. The blonde was awake and a small baby boy was greedily accepting the warm milk she was feeding him. Emily squeezed the arm she had around JJ, letting her know that she was awake.

"Hey," she whispered, shivering gently.

"Hey," replied JJ, turning her head to meet Emily's eyes. To JJ, the perfect loving, caring and tender kiss was placed on her lips, which she smiled into. The blonde pulled back, only to press her own lips to Emily's cheek. It was the first kiss they'd had since Emily arrived. "Meet little Charlie Jareau."

"Hey, little guy," said Emily, the backs of her knuckles rubbing his small tummy. "Here, your arm is probably killing you."

JJ willingly let Emily take the bottle as she traced the little boy's hairline. Together they were slowly sending him off into a peaceful slumber, until he would wake in three or four hours later.

"Dad said before when I got Charlie, that we're seeing Molly and Sam's lawyer on Tuesday," said JJ, facing Emily again. "We have to see what they wanted to happed to Charlie. Where he's gonna go."

"Whatever happens, everything will be fine. I promise," reassured Emily, once again connecting her lips to some part of JJ, and removing the bottle from the now sleeping child.

"Hasn't anyone ever told you not to make promises you can't keep?" asked JJ.

"Have you ever heard the words 'I told ya so'?" replied Emily

A light knock on the door, disrupted them but thankfully not Charlie. John poked his head in through the gap he created between the door and the frame. "There is some dinner in the fridge if you're hungry and some more bottles if Charlie wakes up. G'night."

"Night," said Emily and JJ, simultaneously.

"I'm going to put him into his crib," announced JJ, cautiously getting off the bed, trying not to wake Charlie as Emily smiled at the way she took care of the three-week-old. JJ was a natural.

Taking her chance, Emily pushed herself from the bed and up to the pictures of her lover as a child and various drawings she had done in school. As the blonde got older and into more advanced classes at school, her drawings became more detailed, showing the smallest features to the darkest shadows.

As JJ returned to her door, down the hall she could hear sobbing. Peaking through the gap, feeling like an eavesdropping teenager again, she could see her mother in tears with her father trying unsuccessfully to comfort her. It brought tears to her own eyes, knowing why her mother was crying and slid her covered feet across the polished hardwood floor to her room. All she wanted was for everything to be normal again, but that wasn't going to happen, so JJ would have to make her own 'normal' that included Emily and little Charlie and her parents and her family back in Washington.

Over the next day and a half, until they had to meet the lawyer in charge of the will, JJ and Emily got into a routine with Charlie, feeding him, changing him and playing with him, the brunette finally got to meet Sandra. Emily would watch over JJ night and day, making sure she slept enough and ate properly. It was now half past eleven on Tuesday. Time to meet Brad Winters, Sam's lawyer. His office was a modern, slightly posh but warm room, with large windows on the second floor of a small building in the middle of town. Emily had suggested that she and Charlie wait in the waiting area, seeing as it was a family meeting and she didn't want to intrude. If one of the three remaining Jareau's were to collapse, having a baby in there with them would only add to the tension.

JJ took her seat in an arm chair, her parent to her right, Brad's desk to her left and the man himself across the small table from her.

"I am sorry and about Sam and Molly. Just after CJ was born, they both came to me to confirm the contents of their will. It involves their money, who will take care of Charlie, what is to happen to their possessions and extra information about any debts that might need to be paid off. Are you all okay to start?" he explained, slowly as if the three of them had no clue what he was saying. They all nodded so he continued.

"All of their money is going to a trust fund account that is set up for Charlie and will keep claiming interest over the years. He can't touch it until his eighteenth birthday. The account will be under the control of whomever it is that is going to take him in," he said, before JJ cut into his little speech.

"Who is going to take care of him?" she asked, that being the only real thing she was concerned about.

Brad started flicking through some of the pages he had in his lap and on the table in front of him, before exclaiming, "Aha! I found it." Brad then began to recite the lines of what had been typed up and signed by the late Mr and Mrs Sam Jareau. "We want our son to have a good childhood and to grow up healthy. We, Molly and I, would like my sister, Jennifer Jareau, to take him in if anything were to happen to us. We have complete faith that she will raise him right."

"Me? They want me to take him in?" she stuttered, her mind racing a mile a minute. _'What about work? What about me and Emily? How will I juggle one family while trying to juggle another and a full time-job?'_ thought JJ.

"Yes. It was signed by them. If you do agree, standard checks will be done and you would formally adopt him," said Brad.

"What about their house and such?" asked John. Sandra was yet again crying, reaching for JJ's hand, who took it firmly.

"The house goes to the two of you. They say here, 'you can do whatever you please, but it you sell the house, put some of the money into Charlies account,'" answered Mr Big-Shot.

JJ had been stunned into silence for remainder of the meeting, only hearing things when her name popped up. By the time they were to leave, JJ already agreed to take Charlie back to D.C. with her. She could make it work. JJ was given a card with a social-workers number on the back for her to ring about adopting Charlie.

Emily looked at them expectantly as they walked sadly out of the office and into the street, the brunette still holding the baby.

There was a salad shop across the road so they went for lunch.

"Do you know what you're going to do Jen?" asked her father.

"About?" she replied, knowing what was coming.

"Charlie," whispered Emily. She hadn't even been in the meeting, but she had a good idea about what was going on. _Profilers_

"I'm taking him," she said. "I'm going to ring up this social worker after the funeral and talk to her about everything. But I need to go home before I take him with me."

"Why?" asked Sandra.

"Because my place is not set up for a child," answered JJ. "He can stay with you until I get everything sorted out. It's not like you'll never see him again."

"I know. I want weekly phone calls and photos all the time," said Sandra, feeding a fussing child in the pram.

"Sure, mum. Dad we have to go. Funeral home," said JJ, uncertainty becoming evident in her voice. Emil must have heard it because she gave JJ's have a squeeze under the table.

Emily's cell had decided to go off at the right moment, breaking the sad tension filled atmosphere at their table.

"Excuse me. It's my mother," she said, walking away. JJ cringed when she heard that and Charlie started fuss more.

"Don't worry buddy. I don't really like her mother either," said JJ, leaning across Emily's now vacant chair to rub his tummy. He almost immediately stilled and looked at her with wide brown eyes.


End file.
